Renal Ventures Management publishes first cookbook of kidney friendly recipes for renal patients

Mar 25 2014

In recognition of Kidney Health Awareness Month, Renal Ventures Management, LLC (RVM), a leading provider of dialysis services for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure, has published its first cookbook of kidney friendly recipes for it renal patients and their families. The Healthy Kidney Cookbook is a compilation of recipes from RVM dieticians around the country and is an extension of the company's RV Difference program that focuses on positive change for patients though employee participation.

"This is a wonderful collection of recipes, tips and ideas for a kidney healthy diet," said Thomas F. Parker III, M.D., Co-Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Renal Ventures Management. "Nutrition plays a vital role in keeping patients healthy, and this cookbook gives renal care patients, caregivers and anyone interested in a kidney healthy diet a wealth of ideas for creating appetizing and healthful meals and snacks."

Patients who depend on dialysis to manage their end-stage renal disease face a unique set of dietary challenges. For optimum health, dialysis patients need a diet that is high in protein and low in sodium, potassium and phosphorus. Patients who fail to maintain a dialysis friendly diet may develop dangerous infections because the body can't properly cleanse waste that builds up in the bloodstream over time.

A digital copy of the cookbook is available to download on RVM's website. Hard copies of the cookbook will also be available in all 36 clinics that RVM operates throughout Arkansas, Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia.

The RV Difference program focuses on employee participation to improve patient care, fostering a corporate culture that embraces the important roles each employee plays in the dialysis patients' daily lives. Employees at all levels participate in the program, which includes patient appreciation events and building community awareness through participation in walks, health fairs and other projects. RV Difference along with other corporate initiatives results in outstanding patient outcomes. In fact, hospitalization rates due to infection and heart complications for RVM patients are 32 percentage points lower than the national average.